Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20090510.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Zechariah: Paving The Path Toward A Blessed Future
Part II: Encouraging God's People About The Coming Messianic Kingdom, Zechariah 1:6-6:15
E. God's Encouraging Promise Of The Holy Spirit To Accomplish His Calling
(Zechariah 4:1-14)
  1. Introduction
    1. When the assignments God gives His people are viewed as humanly too difficult for them to accomplish, direction and encouragement is required for them to ATTEMPT and to ACHIEVE!
    2. God promises to provide of His own divine resources all His people need to achieve His will for them, a very encouraging truth symbolized in Zechariah's fifth night vision in Zechariah 4:1-14 (as follows):
  2. God's Encouraging Promise Of The Holy Spirit To Accomplish His Calling, Zechariah 4:1-14.
    1. The angel who introduced the eight night visions to Zechariah awakened him to the fifth vision as though awakening him out of sleep, a symbol of Zechariah's need for power, Zechariah 4:1! This symbol of man's need for supernatural power sets the theme for the rest of the vision!
    2. When asked by the angel what he then saw, Zechariah replied he saw a golden candlestick being profusely supplied with olive oil for its seven lamps from a bowl suspended over it, with 49 conduits in all going from the bowl to the various lamps, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Zechariah 4:2.
    3. Zechariah also saw two olive trees standing on either side of the candlestick that were tapped to provide a pipe from each tree to fill the golden bowl, 4:3; Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament , p. 1555.
    4. Zechariah asked the angel who showed him the vision what these items represented, Zechariah 4:4.
    5. In an effort to enhance Zechariah's interest in the explanation, the angel stalled in explaining the items, rather addressing the application of the vision's symbols before later explaining them, Zech. 4:5-6, 14.
    6. That application promised that the civil leader, Zerubbabel, would finish the temple reconstruction work not by human ability or power, but by the Holy Spirit's power, Zech. 4:5, 6-8. Just as his hands had laid the foundation, his hands would also finish it, confirming this very prediction to be of God, Zech. 4:9.
    7. Thus, the people of Israel were not to despise the "day of small things"; they were not to despise their apparently lesser temple reconstruction effort that contrasted with the humanly magnificent temple of Solomon, Zech. 4:10a with Hag. 2:2-3 in view of Ezra 5:1-2. God's omniscience in the "seven eyes of the Lord" (Zech. 4:10a with 3:9a) had seen Solomon's temple and the dismay of the elderly returned exiles at their viewing the humanly inferior rebuilding effort, but He would provide all the spiritual power needed to motivate and equip Israel to finish this work regardless of the ensuing temptations to the contrary!
    8. Zechariah then returned to asking the angel again about the identity of the objects in the vision, and he had to ask repeatedly, Zechariah 4:11-12, 13. The angel's repeated stall was made to intensify Zechariah's interest all the more, that he take the vision's application to heart! He finally explained they were the two anointed ones who stand as servants before their seated Lord of the whole earth, Zechariah 4:14. This has great application in Zechariah's era, in our era, and in the distant future for the nation Israel (as follows):
      1. These (literally) "sons of oil", men consecrated by anointing (Merrill F. Unger, Zechariah, 1974, p. 80), referred to Israel's king and high priest, both men needing to be anointed to assume their offices, Ibid.
      2. In Zechariah's day, these two were Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel, Ez. 5:1-2; 1 Chr. 3:1, 17-19.
      3. In the coming Great Tribulation, these will be the high priest and a civil governor of Israel who will witness as rulers of the future Messianic Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Revelation 11:3-14; Zech. 4:3, 14.
      4. In the Messianic Kingdom, both offices of high priest and king are united in Christ (Psalm 110:1-7).
      5. Thus, whether it be in Zerubbabel's and Joshua's era, or in the era of the Two Witnesses in the future Great Tribulation or in the Messianic Kingdom, Israel's leadership would achieve humanly formidable tasks in the power of the Holy Spirit as symbolized in the provision of the olive oil, Zechariah 4:6!
Lesson: Throughout history, God's people are to achieve His superhuman assignments amid great discouragement and human limitations to the contrary by the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.

Application: (1) May we rely on the Holy Spirit for all the POWER we need to ACHIEVE God's will. (2) Of necessity, this means doing God's will in God's spiritual gifting, cf. 1 Tim. 4:14-16; 2 Tim. 1:6-7.